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IBS or Irritable bowel syndrome is a common medical disorder that affects your stomach and intestines (also called gastrointestinal tract). It is a chronic condition that you have to manage for the long term in case you are diagnosed with it. Symptoms of the disorder include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation, or even both. The best gastroenterology hospital near you will provide you with treatment options according to your symptoms.

Only a small number of people with IBS experience symptoms. Most of the time you can control the symptoms by managing your diet, lifestyle, and stress. If your symptoms are more severe, doctors might prescribe medication and counseling. But it doesn’t cause changes in your bowel tissue or increase your risk of colorectal cancer.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

Symptoms of IBS might vary from person to person, but you might be experiencing them for a long time. The most common ones include

• Abdominal pain
• Cramping or bloating that is related to passing a bowel movement

Changes in the appearance of bowel movement

Changes in how often you are having a bowel movement

A sensation of incomplete evacuation and increased gas or mucus in the stool.

Causes of irritable Bowel Syndrome

We don’t really know what the exact causes of IBS are. But the following factors appear to play a role in irritable bowel syndrome. 

Muscle contractions in the intestine: The walls of your intestines are lined with layers of muscle that contract as food moves through your digestive tract. If the contractions are stronger and last longer than usual, it can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. If the contractions are weak, they can slow down the passage of food and lead to dry, hard stools.

Nervous System Issues: If there are some issues with the nerves in your digestive system, it may cause discomfort when your abdomen stretches from gas or stool. When the signals between the brain and intestines are poorly coordinated, it causes your body to overreact to changes that typically occur in the digestive process. This can lead to pain, diarrhea or constipation.

Severe Infection: Sometimes, IBS can develop after you have had diarrhea caused by bacteria or a virus. This condition is called gastroenteritis. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is also associated with a surplus of bacteria in the intestines (bacterial overgrowth).

Early Life Stress: If you have been prolonged to stressful situations, especially since childhood, you tend to have more symptoms of IBS.

Change in Gut Microbes: If there are changes in your gut microbes that typically reside in your gut like bacteria, fungi, and viruses, it can lead to IBS. Research indicates that the microbes present in the intestines of people with IBS might differ from those in people who don’t have IBS.

Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Treatment of Irritable bowel syndrome focuses on relieving symptoms. If you are only showing mild symptoms, your doctor might recommend you control them by managing stress and by making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Diet for irritable bowel syndrome includes avoiding food that triggers your symptoms, eating high-fiber food, and drinking plenty of fluids. As a part of  irritable bowel syndrome treatments, your doctor might also ask you to avoid the following depending on what irritates your bowel

• High-gas foods and carbonated and alcoholic beverages 
• Gluten
• Carbohydrates such as fructose, fructans, lactose and others, known as FODMAPs

Your dietitian can help you with the diet changes.

If your symptoms are moderate or severe, your doctor might suggest counseling and medications including fiber supplements, laxatives, anticholinergic medications, and pain medications get relief from them. Medications approved also include Alosetron (Lotronex), Eluxadoline (Viberzi), Rifaximin (Xifaxan),  Lubiprostone (Amitiza), and Linaclotide (Linzess). 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is associated with certain types of food, age (below 50), sex (women are more prone to women), having a family history of IBS, stress, anxiety, depression etc.

Complications of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

One of the most common symptoms of IBS is chronic constipation or diarrhea, which can cause hemorrhoids. Many people with moderate to severe IBS report poor quality of life. Some patients even tend to miss days from work due to IBS symptoms. It can lead to depression and anxiety, which in turn worsens  IBS symptoms.